Thanks to all who have reviewed and waited. My sincerest apologies for the long wait for this chapter. My wife is about to have her baby, so I am understandably distracted. Please enjoy the fruits of my labor, and if you don't let me know what I can do to change that.
Once again, I own nothing but the idea and this story, and I make no money from either.
Chapter 4
By the time her hour in the danger room was over, Rogue was exhilarated. She had never thought she would feel so free and strong. I can't wait till Jean gets back and we have our group practice. Then I can show everyone what I can do. She heard a quiet laugh in the back of her head and blushed. Goku was great, he had taught her so much about his powers and how to use them. It was strange for her to have to learn them this way. When she absorbed someone's powers she also absorbed their knowledge on how to use them and what they could do. She had been so shook up by what she had done to Goku, however, that she had blocked it from her mind. Now with his help, she was learning and remembering. I wouldn't be long now before she would be able to do anything that he could have done. A few weeks o' practice and I'll be a match for anyone. I'll finally be able to pull my own weight, she thought happily.
She dabbed at the sweat rolling down her neck with a towel from the bathroom that she had taken down with her. Her makeup had withstood her workout pretty well but it still needed to be redone. She made her way back to her room and took a shower. She would just have to take another one after the X-men went through the danger room together, but she couldn't stand feeling all sticky, and she certainly didn't want to smell herself for that long.
By the time she had finished her shower and reapplied her makeup she realized she was starving. Hurrying downstairs to the kitchen she found Kurt there fixing himself a snack. She waved absently to him and went straight to the fridge. She was really hungry. She found half a cold pizza and wolfed it down, barely slowing in her search for more food. Grabbing a bowl of noodles she continued her depredations. Kurt looked on in confusion and awe. He had never seen anyone eat like that, and he was the bottomless pit of the institute.
"Uh... Rogue," he said hesitantly, walking up behind her as she abandoned their now almost empty fridge in search of more food. When she didn't respond he tried again. "Rogue, what are you doing?"
"Huh? I'm eating, what does it look like," she replied around a mouthful of food. She rolled her eyes and returned to her search.
"It's not that you're eating, mein freund, but that you are eating more than me." He said this last with a pleading note to his voice, practically begging for an explanation.
"Ah had a hard workout in the danger room, that's all," she shrugged and left with a power bar in her hands. She knew from Goku's memories that extreme hunger was part of the Saiyin physiology, but she wasn't ready to explain that to Kurt just yet, or any of the other students for that matter. I don't know how they'll react if they find out I as good as killed someone with mah powers.
Kurt looked after her with a bewildered expression on his face. "That must have been some workout."
Rogue went to her room and pulled out the book she had been working on for the past week and started to read. She really hated these book reports for English class, but there was nothing to be done but read To Kill a Mockingbird. Not too bad if she had to admit it to herself. It sure showed how unfair life could be sometimes.
After her fifth attempt to read the same page she gave up and looked at her clock. Remy would be picking Jean up from her practice about now and she would be showing him around town. Rogue was still trying to decide whether she was glad that he was flirting with Jean, or bitter that Jean was getting the attention of another guy. She's not his type anyway, she reasoned to herself. Thinking back on it, she couldn't quite tell what kind of girl would be his 'type.' Rogue found herself wondering what kind of girl was his type. She knew he was a flirt and very charming, but that was just for fun. What kind of girl would he really be interested in? She let her imagination wander, picturing Remy in her mind with different kinds of girls.
She was jerked out of her reverie by the sound of Jeans voice announcing that she had gotten home. Rogue blushed as she realized that her mind had stopped on a picture of her and Remy together. That was ridiculous and stupid. It can't happen anyway, so what's the point in even thinkin' about it. Besides, I got better things to do with my time than think about some boy. She made her way downstairs, for once looking forward to the danger room session that was scheduled.
As she came to the foot of the stairs she heard Scott and Jean arguing in the next room. They broke off as she came in, settling for glaring at each other instead. They were all dressed in their uniforms and ready for the danger room, merely waiting as everyone else filed in.
As they were gathering inside the danger room the professor turned on the microphone in the control booth. "The purpose of this exercise will be to avoid capture and neutralize the power plant. You may form any sub teams that you wish, but no one is to be left behind. Understood?"
"Understood professor," Scott replied with a sharp nod. "Anything else we need to know?"
"Yes. Rogue, how did your earlier training session go today?"
She tried to suppress a smile, only partially succeeding. "It went great professah," she replied calmly. The others looked at her, puzzled.
"Excellent. Then I believe now is the time to tell you that Rogue has been working on developing new powers that have come to her. She has been practicing using these and will be utilizing them for the first time in a combat situation in this simulation. I am designating her point for this infiltration. Please back her up." With that he switched off the microphone and activated the simulation.
Immediately the scene around them changed from the familiar metallic interior of the danger room to the outside view of a large bunker. It was heavily patrolled and surrounded by a tall fence that looked to be electrocuted, topped with razor wire. There was a sharp scent of ozone in the air, letting them know that this was high security at it's best.
"Ok," Scott began, looking around at the group, "let's pair off. Rogue goes in first. Spike, Shadowcat and Jean will follow. Nightcrawler and I will stand in reserve in case you get into trouble. We want to get inside the fence and neutralize that power plant on the other side of the bunker." He gestured beyond the metal structure to the river running off the side and the plant surrounding it.
Rogue nodded, all business as she prepared for the task at hand. She had never been point before. Her powers had always been pretty much useless in this sort of covert operation, but now she had the chance to show them what she could really do. Now maybe Scott'll see that red heads aren't the only ones with talent, she thought with a feral smile.
She headed down the hill towards the fence, ghosting from tree to tree with no difficulty. This simulation should be no problem. With her new strength she could simply tear the generator apart with her hands. She reached the fence without incident and heard a small gasp from Kitty as she simply flew over it and ran to crouch by the side of the bunker. This was just getting better and better.
Suddenly she heard shouting. Noise erupted all around her as guards came streaming out of the building, some with dogs barking on a leash. Lights on the electrified fence switched on, flashing over the grounds inside and out, trying desperately to identify the intruder. Rogue immediately took to the sky, flying fast and high, feeling the rush that it always brought to her. She noticed Jean about a hundred yards away floating up as well. Rogue! she heard Jean's voice in her mind, sounding startled. How... Never mind. We've got to get the others out of there.
Right, she thought back. Get Kurt to port in there and get them. Ah'll create a distraction. She cut off her mental communication and looked around. Her eyes fell on the power plant. I might as well finish the mission while I'm at it, she thought to herself. With that she headed straight for the river and the electrical generators.
She hit them with a spectacular crash, sending debris flying everywhere as she came to rest a few feet beyond where the turbines used to be. Walking back to them she picked up the one remaining piece of equipment, a coupler about as big as she was, and threw it into the river. The lights flickered then steadied again as the backup power activated. Suddenly the ground beneath her feet began to rumble and she saw a giant hole opening in the roof of the bunker. Somewhere in the confusion a loudspeaker crackled to life. "All troops retreat to the bunker. Repeat, all troops retreat to the bunker. Sentinel protocol has been activated. Beginning containment of hostiles."
Out of the gaping hole in the ground rose a huge humanoid silhouette. It was three times as large as a man, covered with a dully reflective coating. It's head was almost bullet shaped, but rounded off more at the top. As soon as it reached the surface it raised it's arm, palm facing towards Rogue. A bright red flash of energy shot out and hit her directly in the chest. She was caught of guard and knocked back into the river by the blast.
An answering red beam of destruction came from the hill where Kurt and Scott had been waiting, blasting a hole in the armor of the giant robot. The monstrosity slowly turned and was met by another blast, then another, finally forcing it to crumple to the ground in a heap. There was a loud bamf and a burst of brimstone as Nightcrawler appeared beside her. "Are you alright?" he asked her anxiously as she crawled out of the river.
"Ah'm fine," she gasped. "Just a little winded is all."
Kurt put his hand on her shoulder. "Time to go then. Our fearless leader says ve need to show the better part of valor." He grinned at her and teleported them to the hilltop.
As soon as they had all gathered together the hectic scene around them began to melt back into the familiar blank steel walls of the danger room. The thick steel doors opened and professor Xavier rolled in to face them. "You did very well back there. You got in much farther than I thought you would before being detected." He smiled at them.
"Thanks professor," Scott replied. "Umm... what were those giant robot things anyway."
"Those were Sentinels, Scott. I think that perhaps now is as good a time as any to let you know about this." He looked at them gravely for a moment then continued. "My contacts in the government have informed me that there is a movement to bring these experimental sentinels into service as an anti-mutant task force." He waited a moment for the uproar of questions from his students to die down before he went on. "There are those who are aware of mutants such as Magneto and the Brotherhood and believe that this warrants such extreme action. If this movement gains precedence and acceptance we could be facing a catastophe."
"Is that why you had us practicing to take out that bunker?" Jean asked quietly.
"That is correct, Jean. My friend in the defense department provided me with plans to the Sentinel production plant. It would be my hope that we could slip in and disable it without detection." He looked at them once again and felt a surge of pride. He could feel their fear and uncertainty, but even stronger, like an underlying bulwark he could feel their determination. They would help him and protect each other no matter what. "It goes without saying that this would be a last resort, but even so I will be running this simulation once a week. Now, do you have any questions?"
No one spoke for a long moment and then timidly Kitty raised her hand. "Are we going to let the Brotherhood know about this?"
"Not yet. If the time comes that we have to defend ourselves then yes, we will let them know, but until such a time there is no need to worry them." He paused. "Anything else? Then I bid you goodnight. Try to get some rest." With that he wheeled out of the room, leaving them all looking at each other.
Remy was back up on the water tower, looking out over the town at the mansion. His evening with Jean had been quite helpful. He had learned that besides Professor Xavier there was only Logan, the unpleasant looking man he had seen when he had taken Rogue home, and Ororo, the only female member of their faculty. She of course hadn't said so, but he would bet his life that they were both mutants. The question was whether they would cause him any trouble. His best bet still seemed to be breaking into the school and checking things out for himself.
As the sun set in a dazzling display of pyrotechnics, he toyed briefly with the idea revealing to them that he was a mutant. They would probably invite him to live with them. It would be much easier to learn their secrets and weaknesses that way. Inexplicably his thoughts turned to Rogue. Non, dat not the way to do it. Don' want to get too close to them. My pere always said, you get too close to a mark, you get attached. Makes you sloppy. No, I'll just do it the old fashioned way, like the thief I am. He grinned into the darkness and slipped off the tower, slowly making his was to his apartment to prepare for the coming night.